4 FM quick reads on interiors1. Collaboration A More Important Element Of Office Design

This is Casey Laughman, managing editor of Building Operating Management. Today's tip is that as collaboration becomes more important in the workplace, office design has to account for it.

Some types of work naturally lend themselves to collaboration to encourage communication, idea sharing and flexibility. Students work in open spaces beginning at a young age, having just enough space to claim a desk or locker as their own. Newsrooms are typically open areas where reporters and editors can easily communicate without walking from office to office or cubicle to cubicle. A portion of the work that Congress conducts is in large, wide-open chambers.

The idea of designing a workplace to encourage collaboration clearly isn't new. And when it comes to fostering teamwork, there's no one template that applies across all organizations. But more and more companies are pushing harder and harder to encourage open communication and spontaneous idea sharing. Organizations that already have open-plan workspaces are trying new approaches to maximize collaboration. And even those whose work involves client confidentiality and privacy are turning to open office space that encourages collaboration.

The team approach to collaboration not only occurs inside and outside an organization, it also happens in a variety of locations. The individuals could be at a table in the same room, they could be in the same building but in different workspaces, or they could be in different cities on a conference call.

Having greater collaboration, including taking a more team-oriented approach, also involves generational changes, demographic shifts and evolving cultures. Employees in their 20s and 30s worked with their classmates to solve problems beginning as early as kindergarten and extending into college. For some of them, taking that approach into their career is a natural transition.

2. Functionality Important in Office Furniture Selection

This is Casey Laughman, managing editor of Building Operating Management. Today's tip is that while furniture selection is increasingly being driven by sustainability, it still needs to be functional.

Many organizations are taking sustainability into account when purchasing furniture. Of course, the most sustainable product is the one you have. The longer its useful life, the less its impact on the environment.

In general, office furniture tends to be fairly durable. As a result, office furniture is more likely to look dated long before it's truly unusable. For instance, the trend recently has been to greater use of white, along with brighter colors, and perhaps a few pieces in a stronger color.

Choosing furniture that can be easily updated with a new covering can extend the length of time the furniture is used. That saves money and reduces the product's impact on the environment.

This is key because the trends influencing furniture today are likely to change. For instance, while many companies are moving to a heavier emphasis on collaborative work environments, most employees need some amount of privacy in order to concentrate on "heads down" work. This could prompt to a shift in office and furniture design down the road.

Still, even as workplace and design trends change, the objective of the furniture doesn't. Aesthetics and sustainability are nice, but they don't do any good if the furniture doesn't support how the employees work.

3. The New Criteria for Selecting Office Furniture

This is Casey Laughman, managing editor of Building Operating Management. Today's tip is that furniture selection is increasingly being driven by sustainability.

A growing number of organizations are taking sustainability into account when purchasing products, including furniture. In 2009, BIFMA announced an independent sustainability certification program for commercial furniture, called "level." The program is modeled after LEED, and considers the types of materials and amount of energy used to manufacture a product, among other factors. In total, about 30 elements of the manufacturing process and materials used are evaluated.

Another program is the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS). CHPS is a non-profit focused on making schools better places to learn. Its tools, such as a building rating system, can help schools use energy, water and material more efficiently, and operate in a safe and healthy manner.

Three attributes are significant when it comes to determining the environmental responsibility of different products. One is the location at which the item was produced or manufactured. Products made near where they'll be used mean that less energy is needed to transport them to their final destinations. In addition, most production operations within the United States are subject to a range of environmental regulations. That may not be the case in other parts of the world.

Another consideration is the degree to which a product incorporates recycled or re-used materials. In general, the more a product uses recycled or re-used material, the better it is for the environment. However, you still want to consider what likely will happen to the product after you're done using it. If it can't be re-used or recycled in some way, you may want to look for a product that offers the same functionality and durability, but that can be re-processed down the road.

The third factor is the product's impact on indoor air quality. The preference, of course, is for products that emit few or no chemicals that can compromise indoor air quality.

4. The New Criteria for Selecting Office Furniture

This is Casey Laughman, managing editor of Building Operating Management. Today's tip is that furniture selection needs to take the changing way we work into consideration.

The office furniture market is in a state of rapid change. Shifts in the way employees work are prompting developments in workplace design that facility managers who are in the market for office furniture will want to consider. Andrew Laing, director, North America, with design firm DEGW says furniture trends are being driven by the way people are working, including how they're working and using space differently.

Twenty to 30 years ago, cubicles largely replaced what were referred to as "bullpen offices," featuring rows of desks, with no walls or panels to separate them. Employees enjoyed little, if any, privacy.

Bullpen layouts gradually gave way to cubicles, whose panels offered several benefits. For starters, they offered workers some privacy. In addition, they provided a way to bring power to technical tools, including phones and personal computers, that were becoming ubiquitous across many workplaces.

Today, a new round of changes is well underway. As a starting point, employees' increasing mobility is affecting both the design and allocation of space within buildings. More employees work remotely, at least part of the time. In fact, some companies that have surveyed their workplaces have found that, on any day, a high percentage of workstations go unoccupied. To use both space and their facilities budgets more efficiently, more organizations expect employees to share desks or work stations. There's no need to provide a workstation with full panels and storage for an employee who may be in the office infrequently.

After all, costs are a significant concern in any discussion of office design and furniture. Real estate is a significant expense, and companies looking to cut costs often zero in on this budget item. Many organizations, particularly given the tight economy, have shown a preference for less tailored, less expensive furniture.